Mini-tournament set for premier league spots

TDT | Manama  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Top-tier clubs Budaiya and Hidd will be fighting to keep their places in the Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League next season when they take on second division sides Sitra and Malkiya starting later this week.

The four teams are taking part in a first-of-its-kind mini-tournament, organised by the Bahrain Football Association (BFA), to determine three clubs that will be completing the expanded list of 12 teams for the 2022/2023 premier league campaign.

Budaiya and Hidd are playing in the competition having finished eighth and ninth, respectively, on this past season’s standings. They are hoping to avoid joining Al Najma, who were 10th, in being relegated to the second division.

Sitra and Malkiya are competing in the mini-tournament after taking third and fourth in division two. Al Shabab and Bahrain Club have already clinched promotion after finishing as the top two.

The BFA has released the schedule for the mini-competition, which will be played in a single round over three match days. This coming Friday, Budaiya take on Malkiya while Hidd face off with Sitra.

Then on May 10, Budaiya play Sitra while Hidd battle Malkiya. The final day on May 14 will see the premier league sides Budaiya and Hidd clash, with second division teams Malkiya and Sitra facing off.

Matches will be held at the National Stadium in Riffa along with the Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town. Next season’s roster of 12 clubs will be the first time the Kingdom’s premier league will feature that number of teams.